Social security funds: denying members to withdraw their benefits once out of formal employment contracts

Social Security Regulatory Authority (SSRA) has recently been formed in Tanzania to regulate functions and conducts of social security fund schemes in Tanzania. As a result a law was passed in April 2012 to review the conduct of the funds including restricting early withdraw of members money until when they reach their voluntary or compulsory retirement ages, i.e. 55yrs and 65yrs. Currently there are debates among the would be pensioners most of them not happy with this new law.

The following are my views:

I think the law did not consider the nature of employment in private organizations. There is no permanent employment in a similar arrangements like in government or public sector where people are permanently employment to their retirement age. In private organizations most of the contract are short term 1 – 5 years. We need to inquire more to understand and explore legal ways if any for people to withdraw their reserves once their contract expires. Otherwise it seems the law has been purposely formulated to protect those who keep the funds rather than the workers. It makes little sense for someone who works for, say 2 years, doesn’t secure another formal employment thereafter yet make them suffer for the rest of their lifetime until they reach 55.

The most discouraging thing is that government officials and politicians do have access to these funds even without being members of such schemes at the first place. Some of the social funds have invested members’ money in questionable projects mostly influenced by political leaders rather than factors which would financially benefit the funds and consequently the members. There is no clear trade off benefits for workers to say yes we can forgo withdrawing money now for such and such benefits in shorter, medium and longer terms. This isn’t clear at all. It is said that SSRA will come up with a way workers can use their reserve as collateral to the commercial banks for loans. The question is, why didn’t that come in the same framework of the new law?

Let us be realistic, on average how much money does the member have in these social security funds? Will the amount suffice for example to get a loan from the bank to construct a decent residential house? Banks give loans to make profit through interest, what business plan will the early retired employee give to the bank to justify giving him/her money? Interesting to understand how SSRA will broker this deal!

How much (in %age) interest will members’ fund get at the 55th year or 65th year? What benefit do members get out of the gigantic investments made by their respective funds? How does the law protect the members from their funds being misused or invested in white elephant projects? How does the law prevent interference from politicians? The stake of these funds belong to the members/workers, how does the law make the CEOs of these schemes accountable to the holders of these funds?

Texting while driving – Tuache kabisa kutumia simu wakati tukiendesha magari

I would like to urge traffic police in Tanzania to also conduct a thorough check to drivers’ mobile phones and find out whether their mobile phones were engaged during or short time before the accidents.

http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/local/central/dangers-of-texting-driving-unknown

Dangers of texting while driving unknown

Illness is part of Over 71% of Dar residents’ life

Confirming the findings of the previous two Listening to Dar health reports, the study has revealed that for many citizens of Dar es Salaam, illness is very much part of everyday life. In the current survey recently released by Listening Dar, 71.3% of respondents report a case of illness in their household during the four weeks prior to the interview.

This and other findings concerning state of health services in public facilities you can find in the report below. Lack of medicines and preferential groups not receiving medical services as provided for by the Health policy are common occurrences in Dar es es salaam health facilities. If this is happening in the commercial and de-facto capital city of Tanzania, what about health facilities far beyond Dar es salaam. As citizens what shall we do about this?

Has the government failed or citizens have failed. Who is to hold the other accountable? Should it be the tax payer or the Tax collector? Reader you have all the answers.

 

Listening Dar-state of health in dar

Baadhi ya Walimu ni Watoro, wakija hawafundishi na hasa wale wa Kiingereza na Hesabu

Hebu jisommee hii ripoti ya listening Dar uone ncha tu ya barafu iliyojitokeza juu ya bahari ya elimu wakati chini kuna mwamba mkubwa wa barafu unaoweza kupasua meli ya maisha ya Watanzania.

Tuna tatizo kubwa kwenye mfumo mzima wa elimu. Vitabu, waalimu, vifaa vya kufundishia n.k. Mimi na wewe tufanyeje? Nadhani tuanzie majumbani kwetu na watoto wetu. Waalimu wanalalamika kwa miaka mingi sasa, siasa zimetawala mtindo mmoja katika kushughulikia matatizo yao. Ripoti inaonyesha hata wakienda darasani hawafundishi, tutamlazimisha ng’ombe kunywa maji kweli?

Ni kweli serikali imeshindwa au sisi wananchi ndio tumeshindwa halafu tunaisingizia serikali. Nani wa kuwajibika? Mlipa kodi au mlipwa kodi? Hii ripoti ni ya Dar tu, pale wakubwa wanapokaa, vije kule mbali?

Kuna maneno! Haya pitia.

R10 education ENG-Teachers absenteeism

 

Dr. Ulimboka’s episode: Perhaps this could shed some light to what happened

Below (doctors) is a letter written to UN asking for among other things Dr. Ulimboka’s protection, he is currently admitted at some unknown location in South Africa. As the letter speaks the threat is so high that other Doctors feel unsafe too. Tanzania has been a very peaceful country for quite sometime now but of recent things are changing and perhaps it doesn’t feel safe anymore.

Have we really exhausted the stock of peaceful means to resolve Doctors’ issues. When we are sick we fully and wholly entrust our lives to Doctors, some procedures they perform to us require sedation, we lay unconscious into their hands. We became like innocent newborn baby but yet they strive with their utmost skills to bring us to conscious again. They are demanding better working environment not only for them but also for us. Yes we may disagree on the methods they are using to press for their demands but (if at all this proves to be the case) brutalizing and intimidating them doesn’t in iota measure compare to what this profession does for our lives.

Thanks to Maria   for sharing this.

doctors